Dual Approaches: Integrating ethics into the information systems

curriculum

José A. Cruz-Cruz

William J. Frey

University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez

June 14, 2015

Agenda

• A Little Background: From Engineering to Business Administration• Our experience with and contribution to ABET Ethics Assessment

• The EAC Matrix• Levels of Moral Development

• Approach 1: The 3 Tests – An Ethical Decision-Making Framework• Demonstration• Comments & Pointers

• Approach 2: Applied Theory • Examples• Framing Issues• Common Misconceptions

• Appendix: Online Resources@ACBSPAccredited #ACBSP2015

3

EAC MatrixObjectives x Curricular Targets x Moral Development

Analytical Thinking

Multiple Framing

Reflective Exploration of

Meaning

Practical Reasoning

ADMI 4016: Environment of Organization

Mod-A

SICI 3018: Information Systems

Mod-BGERE 3009: Intro to Management

Et Awareness

Et Evaluation

Integration

✔✔

✔

✔✔

✔= Primary Focus = Secondary Focus = Actual Outcomes

Prevention

Value Realization

Five Levels of Moral Development: Macro and Micro

Original description Original Micro Applications Redeployed in Macro Ethics

Awareness: ability to perceive ethical issues in complex, concrete situations”

Jose’s Pre-Test for Information Systems

ability to pick out social, ethical, and global relevance in technologies and socio-technical systems.

Evaluation: ability to assess a product or process in terms of different ethical approaches or tests

Gray Matters as developed by Lockheed Martin (Scenario plus solution alternatives)

evaluating and ranking different appropriate technology solutions to problems of community development

Prevention: ability to anticipate ethical/social problems, and design counter measures

Chuck Huff’s Social Impact Statements for “Ethical Issues in Software Design” (See computingcases.org)

ability to uncover ethical problems through a socio-technical analysis

J. Cruz and W. Frey, “An Effective Strategy for Integrating Ethics Across the Curriculum in Engineering: An ABET 2000 Challenge”, Science and Engineering Ethics (2003) 9, 543-568

Five Levels of Moral Development: Macro and Micro

Original description

Original Micro Applications

Redeployed in Macro Ethics

Integration: ability to integrate ethical considerations into an activity

Ethics of Teamwork: integrating value in groups:

•Discovery•Translation•Verification

ability to treat social, ethical, and global value as ends in the designing activity

Value Realization: ability to recognize and exploit opportunities for realizing moral value

Moral Exemplars in businessStudents identify virtues that pertain to Muhammad Yunus, Fred Cuny, Carmen Segarra and Sallie Krawcheck.

ability to recognize and exploit opportunities for promoting personal and social well-being

•Value Sensitive Design•Participatory Design

J. Cruz and W. Frey, “An Effective Strategy for Integrating Ethics Across the Curriculum in Engineering: An ABET 2000 Challenge”, Science and Engineering Ethics (2003) 9, 543-568

Teaching Ethics in Business Administration

• Environment of the Organization• Ethics of Teamwork• Moral Exemplars in Business• Responsible Choice in Appropriate Technology• Responsible Dissent in Hughes Aircraft Case• Macro-Ethics in Business: Encuentros

(“Encounters”)• Introduction to Information Systems• Two Approaches: Framing scenarios with ethics tests or

with ethical approaches

Approach 1:The Three Tests

A Pedagogical Demonstration

Agenda (for Approach 1)

• You’ll evaluate some short scenarios (individually)

• We’ll discuss one or two of them

• I’ll present a framework for Ethical Problem Solving /Decision-Making

• You’ll have the opportunity to re-visit / re-evaluate the scenarios

• We’ll discuss some of the other scenarios

Information Systems Related Scenarios

• For each of the scenarios reflect onthe following three questions:• 1. Do you think this situation is common/realistic?

• Yes or No

• 2. Do you consider this situation Ethical or not?• Ethical or Unethical

• 3. Do you think others may disagree with you? • Yes or No

Ethical Decision Making Tests1, 2

• REVERSIBILITY: Would I think this is a good choice if I where among those affected by it?

• PUBLICITY: Would I want this choice published in the newspaper?

• HARM: Does this choice cause harm? Less harm than other alternatives?

Group Discussion

• Discuss two or three scenarios with the aid of the ethical decision-making guide and the ethics tests.

• Did you perception of the situation change?

• How would you handle a similar situation in the future?

Why is Ethics Important?

• Our awareness of ethics can affect our behavior in positive ways.

• If we incorporate ethical considerations early in the decision-making process we can avoid difficult ethical choices later on.

• Information Technology has changed our Society leading to new ethical situations. (Laudon, et al., 1996, p.513)

• Everybody's responsibility.(Kallman & Grillo, 1996, p.19)

Conclusion

•Be Ethical, be WISE!

Issues in Computer Ethics (1-5 are from Laudon, et al., 1996, p.510-553)

• Privacy (Information and otherwise)

• Property Rights (Intellectual)

• System Quality (Responsibility and Risks)

• Quality of Life (Work, Environment, etc.)

• Information Systems (Security, crimes, etc.)

• Use of Power

• Risk and Reliability

• Equity and Access,

• Honesty and Deception

• Many Others

Ethical Decision Making1

• State the ethical issue (problem/conflict/dilemma)

• Review/state the relevant facts (real problem?)

• Identify stakeholders (those affected + & -)

• Identify or develop options (the more the better)

• Assess each option (Feasible?, Ethical?)

• Apply some tests (Harm, Publicity, Reversibility)

• Select, pursue and implement an option

• Think about what you could do to make it less likely that you will have to face such a decision again.

Where to go from here? (Students have asked)

• Take a formal course in Ethics

• Seek out and read related news stories and articles

• Study relevant Professional & Corporate Codes of Conduct

• Read ethics related chapters and excerpts available in many textbooks

• Discuss related situations (scenarios or experiences) with your colleagues or your organization’s ethics officer.

References / Notes

• References:• Ernest A. Kallman and John P. Grillo, Ethical Decision Making and

Information Technology, 2nd ed., New York: McGraw-Hill, 1996.• Kenneth C. Laudon, Carol G. Traver and Jane P. Laudon, Information

Technology and Society, 2nd ed., Cambridge, MA: Course Technology, 1996• June J. Parsons and Dan Oja, Computers, Technology and Society,

Cambridge, MA: Course Technology, 1997

• Notes:• 1. Based on handouts from Ethics in BSE Retreat, “A Guide for

Ethical Decision Making” (based on models/guidelines by Dr. Vivian Weil and Dr. Michael Davis)

• 2. (Laudon, et al., 1996, p.514) and (Kallman & Grillo, 1996, p.11)• 3. (Parsons and Oja, 1997, pp.PRV-32, PRV-33)

Problem-solving (on analogy with design)

• Problem Specification• Classify the problem as a conflict, factual or conceptual

disagreement

• Solution Generation• Develop solution alternatives

• Solution Testing• Reversibility, Harm, Publicity

• Solution Implementation• Resource, Interest, and technical constraints

Approach 2:Applying Theory

Kant’s Categorical Imperative

• Act only on that maxim that can be converted into a universal law• Formulate the maxim (= personal rule)• Universalize the maxim (apply to everybody)• Check for Contradiction• Is the maxim self-defeating when applied to

everybody?• Do I make myself the exception in my maxim (and

will the opposite for everybody else)

Example

• Circle of Cheating• Maxim: If I have not studied for the exam, I ought

to copy from someone else’s exam• Universal Law: Everybody should copy from

someone else’s exam when he or she has not studied• Test for contradiction: I actually want others to

study and make myself the exception in my maxim.

Kant’s Formula of the End

• Treat others (yourself included) always as an end and never merely as a means.• My friend asking my sister out on a date so he could make his ex-girlfriend

jealous.

• Treating others as ends excludes…• Manipulation, Force, Fraud, Deception…

• Difficulty of distinguishing treating as a means from treating merely as a means• Students treat teachers as means• But when they cheat they treat teachers merely as means

Utilitarianism

• Principle of Utilitarianism• Act so as to produce the greatest good for the greatest number.• Maximizes value and minimizes disvalue

• Partially encapsulated in the Harm Test• Utilitarianism sorts consequences into benefits and harms, maximizing the

first and minimizing the latter• The Harm test focuses only on negative consequences. (Other tests pick up

benefits.)

• Utilitarianism needs to be supplemented with some account of distributive justice• Not just net results but how these are distributed among stakeholders

Framing Issues

Categorical Imperative• Based on principle of non-

contradiction• Requires ability to abstract from

situation and frame maxim

• Top Down• Reason from principle to concrete

• Focus on evaluative perspective• Outside perspective of judge

Reversibility• Based on role-taking

• Requires imagination and empathy• Requires ability to hone in on moral

salience

• Bottom Up• Work from moral particulars to

broader feature

• Focus on participatory perspective• Inside perspective of agent

Common Misconceptions

Categorical Imperative• Difficult transitioning from

maxim to form of universal law

• Sneaking in consequences through the backdoor

• Mistaking universality (taken formally) with maximizing benefits

• (Centered in evaluative standpoint)

Reversibility• Scylla

• Self absorption. Failure to transcend egocentric standpoint

• Charybdis• Vicarious Possession. Getting lost in

perspective of the other

• Shifting person or perspective• Moving from participatory to evaluative

perspective• Switching agents

• (Centered in participant standpoint)

Questions or Comments?

• You may contact us at:• j.cruz@upr.edu or• williamjoseph.frey@upr.edu

Appendix: Online Resources

Ethics Resources Online

• Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility• http://www.cpsr.org/

• Center for Democracy and Technology• http://www.cdt.org/

• Electronic Frontier Foundation• http://www.eff.org/

• Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)• http://www.epic.org/

Ethics Resources Online (continued)

• Computing Cases• http://computingcases.org/

• Online Ethics• http://onlineethics.org

• EAC Toolkit• http://cnx.org/lenses/eactoolkit/eactoolkit

• Ethics Resource Center• http://www.ethics.org/

• Markkula Center for Applied Ethics• http://www.scu.edu/ethics/